Degrees of devotion

sweetpea03b

Okay first and foremost I don't want any of my fellow mfpers to think I am "dogging" you or saying what you're doing is wrong in any way.. what works for me is sometimes different from what works for you.. if it works for you... that's what you should do. Some people need more structure to stay focused... some people just need general guidelines. There is hope for everyone.

But for the sake of new mfpers or new weightloss hopefuls in general I wanted to post my observations. In reading posts by different people from all over... whether they want to lose 200 lbs or 10lbs... I have noticed a drastic difference in the way people approach their weightloss on MFP... let's call this the "degree of devotion".

Some weigh all their foods... count everything... work out twice the recommended weekly amount.. stay spot on with their calories... etc.

Some, like me, take a more... general approach to the whole thing and sorta guestimate on their portions.... if MFP doesn't have an exact food... rather than add my own, I simply find a close substitute. Because of this guestimation, I leave myself a 100 calories or so for discrepancy at the end of the day. Also, If I eat a hershey kiss.... or have a cup of coffee... I don't count it. What's 50 calories here and there? That being said... I have lost 17 lbs in the last 6mo.. so obviously this works for me.

As I've posted in the past... I feel (and others say as well) don't start something now that you don't plan on doing the rest of your life.... or just say goodbye to that 20 calories for a little while. Because it'll only stay gone if you're doing everything now that you plan on doing then as well.

Do I want to weigh my food and use charts and formulas for an exact weightloss ratio for the rest of my life? No. so... I use MFP as a guide... and basically just try not to go overboard. The reason for my saying this is that I have noticed new comers going "OMG I have to weigh my food??? I have to stay at an exactly calorie amount? i have to use a HRM?? what if i don't???" My answer... from my experience and advice given to me by trainers, doctors and nutritionists. No, you do NOT have to go to all that trouble to get your weight down and keep it off.

If you did, I'm sure you'd lose alot more weight faster.... but if you're cool with losing it slow and steady... getting to cheat a little as you go.... go as far as you're comfortable with. And maybe my way doesn't work for you.... maybe weighing makes it easier for you to stay on the wagon.. if so... by all means... please do. We're all different.

So, in summary... don't be afraid of this! Don't think that you are WRONG by not weighing your food or working out 1hr everyday... it is possible to lose weight without doing that. MFP is about connecting with other people with a common goal... giving and getting advice and support. Remember that just because one approach works for someone doesn't mean you can't take your own road and still get to the finish line!


Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Free Calorie Counter

sweetpea03b

Okay first and foremost I don't want any of my fellow mfpers to think I am "dogging" you or saying what you're doing is wrong in any way.. what works for me is sometimes different from what works for you.. if it works for you... that's what you should do. Some people need more structure to stay focused... some people just need general guidelines. There is hope for everyone.

But for the sake of new mfpers or new weightloss hopefuls in general I wanted to post my observations. In reading posts by different people from all over... whether they want to lose 200 lbs or 10lbs... I have noticed a drastic difference in the way people approach their weightloss on MFP... let's call this the "degree of devotion".

Some weigh all their foods... count everything... work out twice the recommended weekly amount.. stay spot on with their calories... etc.

Some, like me, take a more... general approach to the whole thing and sorta guestimate on their portions.... if MFP doesn't have an exact food... rather than add my own, I simply find a close substitute. Because of this guestimation, I leave myself a 100 calories or so for discrepancy at the end of the day. Also, If I eat a hershey kiss.... or have a cup of coffee... I don't count it. What's 50 calories here and there? That being said... I have lost 17 lbs in the last 6mo.. so obviously this works for me.

As I've posted in the past... I feel (and others say as well) don't start something now that you don't plan on doing the rest of your life.... or just say goodbye to that 20 calories for a little while. Because it'll only stay gone if you're doing everything now that you plan on doing then as well.

Do I want to weigh my food and use charts and formulas for an exact weightloss ratio for the rest of my life? No. so... I use MFP as a guide... and basically just try not to go overboard. The reason for my saying this is that I have noticed new comers going "OMG I have to weigh my food??? I have to stay at an exactly calorie amount? i have to use a HRM?? what if i don't???" My answer... from my experience and advice given to me by trainers, doctors and nutritionists. No, you do NOT have to go to all that trouble to get your weight down and keep it off.

If you did, I'm sure you'd lose alot more weight faster.... but if you're cool with losing it slow and steady... getting to cheat a little as you go.... go as far as you're comfortable with. And maybe my way doesn't work for you.... maybe weighing makes it easier for you to stay on the wagon.. if so... by all means... please do. We're all different.

So, in summary... don't be afraid of this! Don't think that you are WRONG by not weighing your food or working out 1hr everyday... it is possible to lose weight without doing that. MFP is about connecting with other people with a common goal... giving and getting advice and support. Remember that just because one approach works for someone doesn't mean you can't take your own road and still get to the finish line!


Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Free Calorie Counter

TamTastic

I absolutely agree. It's about finding what works for YOU. And it's VERY important to not stress yourself out and then burn yourself out.

I do weigh and measure my food. For me, it works and I am sort of educating myself on proper portions. Of course I don't bring a measuring cup to a restaurant but by doing it, I have learned how to better eyeball what a proper portion of food is. But other people are able to do that anyway. I just know for ME, measuring isn't a big deal. I mean, I pull the peanut butter out, measure out a tbsp...and voila.

I wasn't exercising a lot when I started out...and I sort of worked my way up to the point I am at now, which is a lot of cardio. I used to hate exercise and now I love the way it makes me feel. I don't use a HRM eiher.

But, when I started, I just made one small change after another. I didn't stress. I didn't buy only health foods. I just made wiser choices.

I always tell all my friends that its all about finding what works for them. For some it migh be WW, others it might be this site....others might be south beach...others might be nutri-system. The important thing is knowing what will work for you.

Poison5119

Your post was dead-on. Thank you for confirming what I already know.

I bought a scale to use if I ever had a question about portions - but only use it when I buy bulk chicken and need to divvy it up into single portions for the freezer. I consider that an appropriate portion of meat is the size of a deck of cards - I don't need a scale for that. Most good cooks can eyeball 2 Tablespoons of peanutbutter or salad dressing pretty accurately.

Where exercise is concerned, I don't see any need to exercise for more than 30-45 minutes TOPS, every day, but every other day will yield good results as well. I find the idea of locating 2-6 hours a day for exercise quite impossible. If I tried that, I'd have to quit my job, for goodness sake. I wouldn't have time for anything else. 45 minutes a day for me is already a sacrifice.

But that cup of coffee, and those hershey kisses? I have to watch those. Yesterday I nibbled my way through 2 ounces of cheese puffs, onr or two at a time - total calorie count: 150 / ounce.

faythe

I agree with this completely. I'm the sort of person who is fairly anal about knowing many calories I burn, but how many calories I eat is less important (as long as I stay within the boundaries of my daily goal). I'm not afraid of close substitutes although I do try to measure food more often and keep an eye on how much I'm eating.

That being said, my husband is a bit anal about both food and exercise, and this works for him. It's all about personal preference.

MFP, for me, has been an eye-opener into what's really going with my body and it's given me the key to explore ways to get myself to a level where I'm comfortable with my weight and, more importantly, my health. Doing things little by little is just as helpful as jumping right in and changing everything. In fact, little by little is easier to stick to, I find.

elliott062907

Honestly for me??
I have stopped worring so much. I set mini goals from now on, usually month to month. This month was 7-10 lbs. I have lost 6.

I don't weight my food or count calories, carbs......

I just cut back, exercise more.....

It is finally working for me.

I watch what I eat though and try hard to incorporate healthier snack then I used to.

No more chips, not flavored rice cakes, nuts, pork rinds fruit and veggies.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner? Lots of lean protein, more than one veggie and tons of juice. Yes Juice. Try to find organic, low to no sugar added.
(The juice has made a hugh difference), and I eat a lot of low carb, lite or sugar free yogurts now.

I can tell such a difference in 2-3 lbs a week when in the past it was2-3 lbs a month.

Marla64

Right on, sweet pea-- making a "life change" is what's needed here. Whether it be weighing and measuring or eyeballing, et cetera--

Personally, I'm anal right now about measuring as much as I can, and conservatively guesstimating the rest. When I'm more towards goal, I may relax it-- but I want to conquer this $%#! Weight battle of mine once and for all.

Ezzie

You folks are all wonderful:flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: ...It IS all about finding what works, one bit at a time, one day at a time one pound at a time, for your lifetime.

Right now beginning to measure is important for me to retrain my eyes for portion control.

And my HRM is one of my "mostest favoritest" sources of motivation. I seeing those calories being burned!! As well as realizing I CAN have more than a leaf of lettuce and 2 carrot sticks for dinner IF I get my body out and walk the dog (my beautiful furry treadmill). I'm still learning to try to space my calories out throughout the day.

So, let's hear it for MFP.:drinker: :drinker: :drinker: ..a tool/plan that let's us all head to our goals following our own path. ( Thanks Mike!)

Ezzie

pecksun8

I think the biggest thing that helped was to just see what you were eating by logging in your food. It changes the way you think which, I feel is critical to weight loss.

If you can't change the way you think, then you are not going to change your lifestyle. Anyone can do a diet, but not everyone can change their own life.

I see this now as a different way of life that is important to me. But yeah, I use this site as a guideline and a great way to meet new people and learn from others mistakes and pass on any info that I have to help anyone who wants it.

marskids

I work in a daycare. One of my children has diabetis and I need to measure everything for her, to know how much insulin she needs. It is just habit now so is very natural for me to measure out my own food. The longer I do it however , the easier it is to "eyeball" the portions.
I agree that everyone has to figure out what way works best for them. We are all individuals with different bodies and needs. I would however caution against not entering those little snacks here and there. They sure add up quickly.....too quickly.

sweetpea03b

In starting out my weightloss journey, I started a "weightloss group" for ladies who wanted to finally take the plunge and really lose the weight. Needless to say, the group didn't work out because nobody was willing to put in the work it took to lose the weight. Also, they didn't want to "announce to the world" that they were trying to lose weight by promoting the group. That baffled me. Why wouldnt you want to celebrate with the world the fact that you are taking a stand and changing your own life for the better... in the end result of losing weight?? Then I started MFP for a while...l losing a slow and steady 3lbs a month.. then read postings from other users saying they had lost 30-100 lbs.... granted I only needed to lose 30lbs for a healthy BMI.. so of course they would lose faster than I. So then I thought... maybe i'm not doing this right? Maybe i'm not trying hard enough? I went hard core for the first few months.. went to the gym 1hr everyday weighed constantly.... cut out EVERYTHING I liked to eat.

Then, you guessed it... I got miserable.... I binged... I was tired of this. Then i realized... why does it have to be one way or another? Why can't I have a bowl of ice cream once in a while? (notice I said bowl... not container lol) Why should I live my entire life in the gym because i'm afraid of my scale? Now I weigh maybe once between monthly weigh-ins with my nutritionist.... and i'm pretty loosey goosey with the calorie counting. But my jeans keep fitting looser.... and that scale keeps going down. I think alot of this...is just the inner battle with your own mind. Somehow... you just have to flip that switch in your brain that says "yes... I do want to change..... but I still want to be happy" It doesn't have to be one or the other. There's no sense being skinny if you're starving Good luck everyone!

jamerz3294

Zowie... another great My Fine Peeps thread! :flowerforyou: Thanx sweetpea, and all the others that have chimed in. I so enjoy that MFP gives you all the resources, and tools, and family, to make my story turn from a Stuck-in-Before-land into a success! I have already learned so much, and this is only my 5th week!
I do agree that each person *should* use those resources, and tools differently. Since I'm a noob, I tend to try to be as exact as I can, but I don't sweat it if it's 3 oz or 4 oz. For me, the big difference is inputting my calories burned thru out the day! I keep my Home Page, or my Food Diary up on the screen ALL day long. That way I actually am getting better at (gulp) planning my eating. Now I have even refined the meal plan to include mid morning, afternoon, and evening snax. That help me to spread the calories consumed thru the entire day, and not just the good old three squares.
But really, the MOST important source of support here is (drum roll please........) all of you wonderful people, luvya!